The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-10-24
JENNY LIND.

The Famous Singers Life Drawing to It's
Ciose--Her Early Career.
London Special to st, Louis Post Dis patch.
received this morning a private dispatch
from Nine Jennie Lind's residence, near NAL
vern Beacon, to the effect that the condition of
the Swedish Nightingale" Is now hopeless, and
it is only a matter of few ours. or at most,
few days when the fatal termination of her long
illness will be reached Some weeks ago her
side parayzed. and since then she has lost
all power OF speech. Day by day her wonder
fCl vitality is ebbing Happily, her suffering Is
small. and her death promises to be
a painless one. The grestest sympathy is felt
here in musical and social circles for the family
OF the great songstress the eve of their bereavs
ment. and Mr.. Ernest Goldschmidt, her son. is
daily in receipt OF letters and cabegrams from
all parts of the globe, which go to show that,
though for many years lost public view and
stranger to the ''garlsh lights" in which she
shone, Jenny Lind has not been forgotten.
many surviving LIND maniacs" of 1852,
they called, who will by this
announcement of her imminent death be
prised for the first time that the object of their
admiration is still, and has been for the past
thirty five years, in the land of the living. In
view of her phenomenal success and worldwide
popularity it is rather amusing to read the fol-
lowing conversation which Louis Argel relates
as having taken place when the timid young
girl applied to a celebrated singing master of
Paris for teaching
what is your nationality"
Il am Swede."
"Haye you any acquan tances in your own
country, friends or soi'
81 know only our old clergyman, upon whose
patronage could depend"
as he married. Has he any chldrenl"
HE has a son about twenty-five and daugh-
ter eighteen years old"
.'Well. my dear girl, all can advise you to do
is to go home to your country and marry, if you
can, that son of your clergyman, for singer
you will never be-"
For the past thirty years, in fact since her
marriage with Mr. Otto Goldschmidt, Jenny
Lind has lived in the closest retirement Once
twice, tempted for Sweet charity's sake"
she has sung in Exeter Hail. It painfully
apparent, however, that her voice. like the
famous nigntingales of Carmoldoll. had fed be-
fore the touch of time. Her house in Kensng
ton was very interesting TO the favored few who
possessed the entree, by reason Of the artistic
souvenirs and curios which it contained.
Here she was accustomed to entertain a small
circle of intimate friends Her life was
quiet in the extreme, and her diff,
that Nine Lind never forgot forgave
the painful notoriety which given
her every movement or smallest saying
during the prevalence of the Lind mania, and
when she sung under the management of Bar
mum. Her son. Ernest Goldschmidt, is a city
merchant. and, strangely enough, when we re-
member that his father also musician.
possesses not the slighte proficiency for or ap-
probation of the ''divine art" About ten years
ago Nine Lind purchased the fine estate on
Malvern Beacon, where she is now awaiting the
end of her life. Here che erected house in
Swedish style. even to the double windows"
as it is said. Her servants were brought from
northern home. and her library
was perfect museum Of Swedish
antiquities. L mention these facts because it
has been said that the only unlovely trait in
Jenny Lind's character the absence of love
for her country. 1t seems needless to add that
the charge is one perfectly unsupported by
facts Her residence in England necessary,
owing to her husbands many connections there,
and il is said that she never became quite recon
ciled to the land of her adoption. Nine. Lind
was also awhile in Cannes where she has been
accustomed for some years past to spend the
winter months. 1t has been hoped she would go
far recover to bear the journey thither, much
being expected from the change to the softer
climate In face of the inevitable, however,
these hopes have been given up.
Some two years ago Nine. Lind suffered from
a serious illness, from which she recovered,
though greatly aged in appearance and very
much enfeeb led. Her hair had grown gray and
her eyes were deeply sunken. Never pretty,
her sweet expression of countenance, her chief
charm. had passed away Though OF later
years there have arisen captious critics, disposed
to make merry of the great reputation which as
an artistic she attained, attributing il to
a sentimental and uncritical public rather than
phenomenal qualities, there two opn-
ions to her domestic qualities, and an ex-
en- ary wife aud tender mother she will always
be remembered.